Qui Tam FAQs

What is Qui Tam?

Qui tam is an abbreviation from the Latin phrase “qui tam pro domino rege quam pro sic ipso in hoc parte sequitur”, meaning “who as well for the [lord] king as for himself sues [proceeds] in this matter”. A qui tam action allows private citizens to file a lawsuit in the name of the federal or state governments charging fraud by contractors and others who receive or use government funds.

What is a Relator?

A Relator is the name that commonly refers to the whistleblower plaintiff in qui tam action brought under the False Claims Act.

Must the Qui Tam Relator be represented by an attorney?

Yes. To bring a qui tam under the False Claims Act the whistleblower, or Relator, must be represented by an attorney. Selecting an attorney that has experience with qui tam whistleblower lawsuits and the False Claims Act is vital to protecting your interest in this complicated area of the law.

What is a Disclosure Statement?

The Disclosure Statement is the document that must be filed and served upon the Department of Justice (“DOJ”), and contains substantially all the evidence the Relator has in her/his possession about the allegations set forth in the Complaint.

Why is a DOJ Intervention in a Qui Tam action desired?

Because the success rate of qui tam action where the DOJ decides to intervene is much higher than the success rate for qui tam cases that do not have government intervention. However, lack of government intervention does not necessarily mean the qui tam action will not succeed. Indeed, some of the qui tam cases with the largest settlements have lacked government intervention.

Will my Qui Tam Action be taken seriously by the government and investigated?

Yes, by law under the False Claims Act, the Attorney General or a Department of Justice Attorney must investigate the allegations of violations of the False Claims Act. The investigation usually involves one or more law enforcement agencies, and state attorneys general with expertise and interest. They will participate in the investigation, and work closely with the federal agencies when state agencies are victims.

What happens at the conclusion of the investigation?

The DOJ will either (1) intervene in one or more counts; (2) the DOJ will decline to intervene in one or all counts; (3) the DOJ will move to dismiss the Relator’s Complaint; (4) the DOJ will settle the qui tam action with the defendant prior to intervention or in conjunction with the intervention; (5) the DOJ will advise the Relator of their intention to decline intervention.

How much or what percentage of the government’s recovery will I receive?

If the DOJ intervenes and recovers money through a settlement or trial, the whistleblower is entitled to receive 15-25% of the recovery. If the government does not intervene and the case continues then the whistleblower reward is between 25-30% of the recovery.